Various kinds of rotor blocks are known, whose design provides for or allows for a replacement of the rotor in various ways.
The rotor blocks known from DE 31 34 750 C2 are formed from two halves of a bearing housing, which are welded together or otherwise joined, and have press-fitted pivot bearing seats in which the hub of the rotor is supported. The pivot bearing seats are adjoined by stop shoulders for the bearings and are oriented toward the hub. The rotor extends by its hub beyond the bearings and is in this way supported directly against the housing. The hub, moreover, has annular grooves on its outer rings at either side, intended for snap rings lying against the end faces of the bearing, and a mounting hole with an inner thread, designed for an outer thread on a drive shaft.
This design has proven itself in practice for years. However, the need still exists to minimize costs and improve function. Replacement of the rotor of DE 31 34 750 C2 is only possible by replacing the rotor block in its entirety. After replacing, the entire rotor block must be fastened by screws on the supporting framework—just as for the first-time installation. In this process, the rotor block needs to be aligned in its position relative to the supporting framework with the other rotors, so that the axis of rotation of the rotor lies at right angles to the rotor track on which the rotor moves. If the alignment step is not performed, the rotors may become ground down and, therefore, may wear out faster due to skewed running on the rotor track. Furthermore, in the application of a bridge crane, the danger exists of noticeably disrupting the movement of the bridge crane due to skewed running, impacts, and wear on wheel flanges. In addition, lateral forces are created under increasing skew angles, which place a strain greater than the operating strain on the supporting framework, etc. These issues are described at length in DIN 15018.
Another design for a rotor block is disclosed in DE 195 40 220 C1. Here, the rotor block has a housing, in which pivot bearing seats for plain and/or anti-friction bearings are provided to accommodate a rotor extending out on at least one side, and the housing can be taken apart in order to take out the rotor from one side by taking off a detachable cover, so that the housing no longer has to be loosened from the supporting framework in order to replace the rotor. However, many parts have to be loosened and tightened to install and dismount this rotor.
A further design of a rotor block is known from DE 195 40 217 C1. This design calls for the use of so-called annular bodies, which serve to accommodate the bearing in the housing walls of the rotor block. After the rotor and its hub are introduced, they are shoved from the outside onto the hub and its bearing and are secured in the housing. With these rotors, similar to those described above, the installing and dismounting involves the loosening and tightening of many parts. In particular, the annular bodies have to be removed and aligned.
While the installation and dismounting effort is less in the case of floating rotors, there is greater structural expense for the bearing, without which the necessary rigidity cannot be achieved.
From DE 195 40 217 C1, moreover, there is known a rotor block in another embodiment, wherein the bearings for the rotor are placed directly in seats that are provided in openings in the wall of the housing. To dismantle the rotor, after loosening a securing ring, the bearings are pulled out from the openings to the side. In order to remove the rotor from the housing, one has to open the circumferential seat for the bearing. Accordingly, one removes a plate closing off the housing at the side. On this plate, ridges are arranged which extend into the housing. In the installed condition of the plate, the ridges form part of the seat for the bearing. These ridges are removed from the housing with the plate. Now, the rotor with its hub stumps protruding on either side can be taken out from the housing at the side. The hub stumps fit into the space previously enclosed by the ridges.
Furthermore, an easily removable bearing system for the rotors of cranes is known from DE M 19790 XI/35b. The rotor has shaft stumps emerging on either side, on each of which is arranged an enclosed bearing. The bearings have limited movement between stopping surfaces on the shaft stump. To fasten the rotor between two parallel support plates of the crane, two sturdy, flat holding pieces are arranged on the outside of the support plates, placed at a distance from each other.
In the installed condition of the rotor, the holding pieces have disk-like recesses oriented concentrically to the shaft stumps of the rotor. In addition, downward pointing slots are arranged in the support plates and the holding plates, whose width is slightly larger than the diameter of the shaft stump. To assemble the rotor, with the enclosed bearings pushed to the outside, the shaft stumps can be introduced into the slots from underneath. The enclosed bearings are then pushed in form-fitting manner onto the shaft stumps in the direction of the respective holding plates, until they engage and form fit into their disk-shaped recesses. The enclosed bearings are then screwed together with the holding plates and support plates.
Therefore, the basic problem being solved by the present invention is to facilitate the mounting and dismounting or replacement of the rotor in a rotor block.